1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a convalescent bed designed primarily to protect alzheimer patients from falling out of bed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many nursing home and hospital patients, or others such as those inflicted with Alzeimer's disease are prone to falling from their beds. Because a conventional mattress is positioned well above the floor, a fall can result in serious injury or death. Restraint of these patients is not lawful in most states because it may result in the patient choking or becoming dangerously entangled. Additionally, the discomfort associated with conventional restraint can be unbearable. As such, patients who are prone to falling out of bed are often transferred to a mattress or other sleeping surface positioned on the floor. To transfer a patient from the bed to the sleeping surface, however, health care workers must manually lift the patient which is dangerous, strenuous and may result in the patient being inadvertently dropped causing severe if not fatal injuries. Accordingly, there is currently a need for a device that safely positions and protects a patient while lying in bed. The present invention satisfies such need by providing a uniquely designed bed having a mattress that can be lowered to a height proximal ground level. Furthermore, the bed includes at least one guard rail that can be unfolded to provide a deployment ramp from the mattress to the floor providing a safe surface on which the patient lands in the event he or she rolls out of bed when the rails are lowered. Furthermore, the deployed ramp provides a work surface for a nurse or caregiver when tending to the patient.